The present invention relates generally to an information processing apparatus and an information processing method, an information management apparatus and an information managing method, and an information providing medium and, more particularly, to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information providing medium that decrypt encrypted information.
Systems are known in which information such as music is encrypted and the encrypted information is sent to an information processing apparatus of a user with whom a predetermined contract has been concluded, and the received information is decrypted in that information processing apparatus for use. Such information is hereafter referred to as content.
However, for a user to actually receive and use content by means of an information processing apparatus and, the user and the information processing apparatus must be registered in any of the above-mentioned system. So, the user makes an application for the registration into the system by following a predetermined registration procedure. When the application has been completed, a managing company for example for managing the system executes predetermined registration processing such as credit granting. Generally, it takes several days or weeks after the application of the registration for the user and the information processing apparatus to be registered in the system after completion of the registration processing. During this period, the user cannot use the content that is provided by this system.
In addition, if a user has two or more information processing apparatuses, the user must submit the information about each information processing apparatus separately for the application at much expense in time and effort.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus and an information processing method, an information management apparatus and an information managing method, and an information providing medium that perform significantly quickly and efficiently the processing of registering users and their information processing apparatuses into content-providing systems.
In carrying out the invention and according to one aspect thereof, there is provided an information processing apparatus managed by a management apparatus to decrypt encrypted information to use resultant decrypted information, comprising: first sending means for sending a usage start signal indicative of start of use of the encrypted information to the management apparatus after predetermined registration application information including an identification of the information processing apparatus is supplied to the management apparatus; second sending means for sending the identification to the management apparatus in correspondence with the usage start signal sent by the first sending means; first storage means for receiving and storing the usage start signal supplied from the management apparatus through the first sending means, a predetermined key usable for decrypting the encrypted information only for a first period of time, the predetermined key corresponding to the identification supplied from the second sending means, and first upper limit information indicative of a predetermined upper limit amount of first charges; second storage means for receiving and storing a predetermined key usable for decrypting the encrypted information only for a second period of time, the predetermined key corresponding to the registration application information supplied from the management apparatus, second upper limit information indicative of a predetermined upper limit amount of second charges, and a predetermined settlement identification; third storage means for receiving and storing a predetermined registration condition supplied from the management apparatus; and control means for controlling an operation of the information processing apparatus on the basis of the registration condition stored in the third storage means.
In carrying out the invention and according to another aspect thereof, there is provided an information processing method for an information processing apparatus managed by a management apparatus to decrypt encrypted information to use resultant decrypted information, the method comprising: a first sending step of sending a usage start signal indicative of start of use of the encrypted information to the management apparatus after predetermined registration application information including an identification of the information processing apparatus is supplied to the management apparatus; a second sending step of sending the identification to the management apparatus in correspondence with the usage start signal sent in the first sending step; a first storage step of receiving and storing the usage start signal supplied from the management apparatus in the first sending step, a predetermined key usable for decrypting the encrypted information only for a first period of time, the predetermined key corresponding to the identification supplied in the second sending step, and first upper limit information indicative of a predetermined upper limit amount of first charges; a second storage step of receiving and storing a predetermined key usable for decrypting the encrypted information only for a second period of time, the predetermined key corresponding to the registration application information supplied from the management apparatus, second upper limit information indicative of a predetermined upper limit amount of second charges, and a predetermined settlement identification; a third storage step of receiving and storing a predetermined registration condition supplied from the management apparatus; and a control step of controlling an operation of the information processing apparatus on the basis of the registration condition stored in the third storage step.
In carrying out the invention and according to still another aspect thereof, there is provided an information providing medium for providing a computer program for making an information processing apparatus managed by a management apparatus to decrypt encrypted information to use resultant decrypted information execute processing, the processing comprising: a first sending step of sending a usage start signal indicative of start of use of the encrypted information to the management apparatus after predetermined registration application information including an identification of the information processing apparatus is supplied to the management apparatus; a second sending step of sending the identification to the management apparatus in correspondence with the usage start signal sent in the first sending step; a first storage step of receiving and storing the usage start signal supplied from the management apparatus in the first sending step, a predetermined key usable for decrypting the encrypted information only for a first period of time, the predetermined key corresponding to the identification supplied in the second sending step, and first upper limit information indicative of a predetermined upper limit amount of first charges; a second storage step of receiving and storing a predetermined key usable for decrypting the encrypted information only for a second period of time, the predetermined key corresponding to the registration application information supplied from the management apparatus, second upper limit information indicative of a predetermined upper limit amount of second charges, and a predetermined settlement identification; a third storage step of receiving and storing a predetermined registration condition supplied from the management apparatus; and a control step of controlling an operation of the information processing apparatus on the basis of the registration condition stored in the third storage step.
In the above-mentioned information processing apparatus, information processing method, and information providing medium, after predetermined registration application information including the identification of the information processing apparatus is provided to a management apparatus, the information processing apparatus sends a set of a usage start signal indicative of start of use of information and the identification of the information processing apparatus to the management apparatus. The information processing apparatus receives, from the management apparatus, and stores a predetermined key usable only for a first period of time for decrypting encrypted information corresponding to the usage start signal and the identification, and a first upper limit information indicative of a predetermined upper limit amount of first charges. The information processing apparatus receives, from the management apparatus, and stores a key usable only for a second period of time for decrypting encrypted information corresponding to the registration application information, second upper limit information indicative of a predetermined upper limit amount of second charges, and a predetermined settlement identification. The information processing apparatus receives, from the management apparatus, a predetermined registration condition and stores it. The operation of the information processing apparatus is managed on the basis of the stored registration condition.
In carrying out the invention and according to yet another aspect thereof, there is provided a management apparatus for managing a predetermined apparatus that decrypts encrypted information to use resultant decrypted information, the management apparatus comprising: first execution means for executing first registration confirmation processing on the basis of predetermined user general information supplied in correspondence with an identification of the predetermined apparatus; first receiving means for receiving a predetermined usage start signal supplied from the predetermined apparatus; second receiving means for receiving the identification of the predetermined apparatus supplied therefrom in correspondence with the usage start signal received by the first receiving means; first sending means for sending a predetermined key usable only for a first period of time for decrypting the encrypted information, and first upper limit information indicative of an upper limit amount of first charges to the predetermined apparatus after the first receiving means receives the usage start signal and the second receiving means receives the identification of the predetermined apparatus; first assignment means for assigning a predetermined settlement identification according to a result of the first registration confirmation processing executed by the first execution means; registration means for registering, in correspondence to the result of the first registration confirmation processing executed by the first execution means, the settlement identification assigned by the first assignment means in correspondence with the identification of the predetermined apparatus received by the second receiving means; second sending means for sending the registered settlement identification registered by the registration means, a predetermined key usable only for a second period of time for decrypting the encrypted information, and second upper limit information indicative of a predetermined upper limit amount of second charges to the predetermined apparatus; and third sending means for generating and sending a registration condition of the predetermined apparatus on the basis of a result of the first registration confirmation processing executed by the first execution means.
In carrying out the invention and according to a different aspect thereof, there is provided a managing method for a management apparatus for managing a predetermined apparatus that decrypts encrypted information to use resultant decrypted information, the managing method comprising: a first execution step of executing first registration confirmation processing on the basis of predetermined user general information supplied in correspondence with an identification of the predetermined apparatus; a first receiving step of receiving a predetermined usage start signal supplied from the predetermined apparatus; a second receiving step of receiving the identification of the predetermined apparatus supplied therefrom in correspondence with the usage start signal received in the first receiving step; a first sending step of sending a predetermined key usable only for a first period of time for decrypting the encrypted information, and first upper limit information indicative of an upper limit amount of first charges to the predetermined apparatus after in the first receiving step the usage start signal is received, and in the second receiving step the identification of the predetermined apparatus is received; a first assignment step of assigning a predetermined settlement identification according to a result of the first registration confirmation processing executed in the first execution step; a registration step of registering, in correspondence to the result of the first registration confirmation processing executed in the first execution step, the settlement identification assigned in the first assignment step in correspondence with the identification of the predetermined apparatus received in the second receiving step; a second sending step of sending the registered settlement identification registered in the registration step, a predetermined key usable only for a second period of time for decrypting the encrypted information, and second upper limit information indicative of a predetermined upper limit amount of second charges to the predetermined apparatus; and a third sending step of generating and sending a registration condition of the predetermined apparatus on the basis of a result of the first registration confirmation processing executed in the first execution step.
In carrying out the invention and according to a still different aspect thereof, there is provided an information providing medium for providing a computer program for making a management apparatus for managing a predetermined apparatus for decrypting encrypted information and using resultant decrypted information execute processing, the processing comprising: a first execution step of executing first registration confirmation processing on the basis of predetermined user general information supplied in correspondence with an identification of the predetermined apparatus; a first receiving step of receiving a predetermined usage start signal supplied from the predetermined apparatus; a second receiving step of receiving the identification of the predetermined apparatus supplied therefrom in correspondence with the usage start signal received in the first receiving step; a first sending step of sending a predetermined key usable only for a first period of time for decrypting the encrypted information, and first upper limit information indicative of an upper limit amount of first charges to the predetermined apparatus after in the first receiving step the usage start signal is received, and in the second receiving step the identification of the predetermined apparatus is received; a first assignment step of assigning a predetermined settlement identification according to a result of the first registration confirmation processing executed in the first execution step; a registration step of registering, in correspondence to the result of the first registration confirmation processing executed in the first execution step, the settlement identification assigned in the first assignment step in correspondence with the identification of the predetermined apparatus received in the second receiving step; a second sending step of sending the registered settlement identification registered in the registration step, a predetermined key usable only for a second period of time for decrypting the encrypted information, and second upper limit information indicative of a predetermined upper limit amount of second charges to the predetermined apparatus; and a third sending step of generating and sending a registration condition of the predetermined apparatus on the basis of a result of the first registration confirmation processing executed in the first execution step.
In the above-mentioned management apparatus, managing method, and information providing medium, the management apparatus, receiving predetermined user general information from a predetermined apparatus under the management of the management apparatus in correspondence with the identification of the predetermined apparatus, the management apparatus executes first registration confirmation processing on the basis of the received user general information. The management apparatus receives, from the predetermined apparatus, a predetermined usage start signal and the identification of the predetermined apparatus in response to the received usage start signal. When the management apparatus has received the usage start signal and the identification of the predetermined apparatus, the management apparatus sends, to the predetermined apparatus, a key usable only for a first period of time for decrypting encrypted information and first upper limit information indicative of a predetermined upper limit amount of first charges. The management apparatus assigns a predetermined settlement identification according to a result of the first registration confirmation processing. The management apparatus registers the assigned settlement identification in correspondence to the received identification of the predetermined apparatus according to the result of the first registration confirmation processing. The management apparatus sends, to the predetermined apparatus, the registered settlement identification, a key usable for only a second period of time for decrypting encrypted information, and second upper limit information indicative of a predetermined upper limit amount of second charges. On the basis of the result of the first registration confirmation processing, the management apparatus generates a registration condition for the predetermined apparatus and sends the generated registration condition to the predetermined apparatus.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention and the manner of realizing them will become more apparent, and the invention itself will best be understood from a study of the following description and appended claims with reference to the attached drawings showing some preferred embodiments of the invention.